BLOG by zaiss

The Kirkland licensing office is unique in its operation. Instead of everyone picking a number from the same pot, there are four different pots: One for new WA licenses (300s), one for renewals (0 - 100), one for the driving test (500s), and one for “other” (900s). I got number 352, but apparently, for the first hour I was there, they didn’t like the 300s – while about 25 renewals, 15 driving tests, and one “other” was called (only one that showed up, after me I might add), only around 3 new licenses were called.

The worst was when one of the workers was on a roll (due to no shows)… “348… 349… 350… 351… 058?”

058 was present. What the hell. So a few of the 300s aren’t there, we give up on them entirely? One more and you would have had a very eager 300 ready to step up!!!

When I finally did get called up, it turned out that I did not need to take the written test after all. I was somewhat surprised, asking the attendant, “I don’t need to take the written test?”

“… Only if you really want to.”

“… Not so much.”

While I had been waiting, there were two moms reluctantly waiting with their daughters who were about to get their licenses. One was going on about the high standards in Washington, and how transplants from other states almost always need to take the written test (although apparently not anymore), whereas a Washington license is a direct switch in other states.

I must say, I’m taken aback that Washington is considered top notch for drivers. In case you’ve missed my previous rants about Washington drivers, you’re in luck: I have fresh stories for this rant.

• Washington drivers tend to not observe road signs, no matter how many times they seemingly drive past them. If their lane ends, they’ll likely drift right in front of you, without a second thought.
• Tonight, coming home from work, the lights were out on a major street. Do you know how to handle a broken traffic light? Nebraskans do. If you guessed “Go when I get to the light,” you should move to Seattle as you’d fit right in. If, on the other hand, you guessed “Treat it like a 4-way stop,” you’d actually be correct.
• I am nearly rear-ended every time I go anywhere. See the first bullet about not watching what’s going on around you.
• I’ve seen two hit-and-runs in the two months that I’ve been at Seattle. They were the first hit-and-runs I’d seen (though a friend of mine was involved in one in Omaha a few years back).
• Another fresh story – I was cut off today when a Washington driver decided to move across 3 lanes of traffic in one jerky motion. It’s a miracle that nobody got killed.

I don’t mean to rail on Washington drivers too badly (since I am one now). Shockingly, I’ve heard figures that Washington drivers are among the safest (though you wouldn’t know it after driving in Seattle). My point simply is: If they are really the bar that other drivers should strive to meet, then I think we’re all in trouble.